Gilded Cage
by cactipresident
Summary: Hannibal is captured at last. But why does Will feel he's the one trapped behind glass? Set after Digestivo, written before Red Dragon


Tick. Inhale.

Tock.

Tick. Exhale.

Tock.

Tick. Inhale.

Tock.

Tick. Exhale.

Tock.

Hannibal felt more than heard the seconds pass. Sitting in a meditative state helped time pass in his glass cell much to Chilton's and Crawford's displeasure. Chilton had been overjoyed at the prospect of getting a peek at the Chesapeake Ripper's mind. Unfortunately the Ripper's mouth has been closed since his admittance. His psychiatrist even tried some… unconventional methods.

Yet Hannibal Lecter kept silent. Only one man could make him talk. He was waiting for him to make his appearance. Hannibal's attention was drawn from his state of relaxation by the sounds of soft footsteps making their way slowly down the long hall to his cell. The body attached to the feet seemed to be second guessing themselves. Despite this they continued on their trek passing by the other Ripper opened his eyes slowly to see his incomplete half. Hannibal gave a small smile to the man who owned him as much as the doctor owned the other.

Will Graham gave a small smile back, only the corner of his lips twitching up. He looked better than he had since his leave from the hospital. Hannibal could tell he got his dogs back, albeit slowly. The man he met almost over a year ago was returning with a healthier and stronger mind.

"Hello, Doctor Lecter."

" Hello, Will."

The two sat in silence just taking each other in. Hannibal stood up from his bed to stand in front of the glass between them. He kept his hands to himself though he could see Will struggling not to reach up to close some distance. Will kept his eyes away from the doctor's , not wanting to see anything else from his mind. Instead he focused on how different Hannibal looked out of his three piece suits and immaculate hair. In the jumpsuit he still held an air of being above it all but it was dimmed. It was almost funny.

The once doctor looked up to the small camera outside his cell. Will noticed the look and gave a small nod. He of course knew of Chilton's obsession with keeping a watchful eye and ear on who he thought was the Ripper of the week.

Will couldn't help ask though, " Why did you give yourself up?" There was a note of knowing and confusion. Hannibal smiled at his broken teacup.

" I told you Will, So you always know where I am and where to find me."

Will looked away from his once psychiatrist. He used this moment to look down the hall that led to his favorite serial killer to see if Alana or Jack had showed up like they told him. He found the hall devoid of both, thank god. He wished neither would be here for this chat, especially Alana.

" Why didn't you do that in the first place?"

" You know why." Hannibal was making the empath reveal it himself. It was the only way he'd believe anything.

Will looked back at Hannibal looking for a shred of untruthfulness. He was met by a mirror image to his honesty. The profiler tried to ignore the fact that both their faces in his mind looked almost the same ,each borrowing features from the other. " You wanted to see how far I'd go for you. Even after you tried to kill me."

Hannibal gave another of his pleased smiles. " I didn't try to kill you. I marked you for me as you had marked me in the less physical sense."

Once again they devolved into silence. Chilton behind his computer cursed at their need to be vague as humanly possible and make small facial movements. It would be so much easier if they both were as expressive to the world as they were with each other , only then maybe the world could figure out the two.

" And How did I mark you, Doctor Lecter?" Will asked, tilting his head hoping he didn't predict the answer he would hear.

" The way a lover does, my dearest Will" Hannibal paused to shift his eyes to the camera. He hadn't wanted an audience when he talked to Will but he also planned to be moved to a different hospital by the time Will Graham showed up. But it was just like his Will to surprise him as he always had.

The profiler took a few seconds to process what Hannibal told him. It wasn't what he expected. Despite being in the cannibal's mind over and over he never felt love for himself. Though he was now sure it was his own self loathing clouding his judgement of the doctor. Will pushed his glasses up, clearing his throat.

" You love me?" It came out more like a whisper despite clearing his throat.

" You are very inquisitive tonight Will." Hannibal responded, before sighing and turning away from the object of his affection. " I do believe what I feel for you is love. The last time I felt this was when I was a child so I may not be too versed in the subject." He turned himself to gauge Will's reaction.

Will, for his part, didn't respond at first. He was so still and quiet that if Hannibal hadn't known he would have thought he was having a seizure. Will seemed to restart, a small blink at first. His eyes themselves then moved ,cataloging everything Hannibal was doing and his living quarters. His lips was next, opening to let a shaky breath in and out, vastly different from the meditative breathing of the Lithuanian. His hand moved slowly and unsteadily towards his hair running their way through. He took a step or two away from the cage before turning away completely. He took more deep breaths before opting to pace in front of Hannibal's view.

" You- You don't stab someone you love, Hannibal!" Will seemed to shout at nothing. He stopped his pacing and sighed.

" You betrayed me. I had planned for the three of us to leave together. We were going to live in France as a family you wanted us to be. We were to be Abigail's father's."

Will spun to look at Hannibal in shock. He knew all of that but hearing him say it so calmly and so simply. As is stabbing someone because they betrayed you was normal. But it was. This was the man who cooked people for saying the wrong thing one day. The fact Will had lived from his punishment was a testament to how much Hannibal cared for him. Will was actually touched in a weird, terrifying way.

" So instead you leave with your very own psychiatrist? A simple replacement for me, I suppose."

He knew he was being childish but he needed answers, Chilton be damned.

"Bedelia… was not part of my plan. You were, Will. Bedelia seemed to have a stronger hold on me then I anticipated."

Will couldn't help but laugh a small, sad laugh. " The great manipulator gets manipulated. A better headline than Hannibal the Cannibal." Hannibal winced at the poor taste of the nickname. He knew of course who came up with it. When he eventually escaped he was going to finish what Gideon could not.

" I meant what I said Will. I would not lie to you. Not now, Not anymore."

Will sobered up, staring at the man he wanted to run away with. He stayed silent, soaking in everything they went through and everything they had planned. He had wanted to leave with Hannibal. Every fiber of his being wanted nothing more than to had been escaping with him. To be his partner in crime. Even as he was bleeding on the floor of the older man's kitchen. Even as he was holding his surrogate child's neck he wanted Hannibal to come back and fix them as if it was all an April Fools joke to test them. Surprise you passed, you love each other as much as I love you two. Instead he woke in a hospital as Abigail never woke on a cold metal table.

Did he feel the same for the monster cannibal? He had travelled countries just to better understand him. Just to find him… to do what? To repay him in the same way? To leave him with an ugly scar as an eternal reminder? No he knew why he pulled that knife. He knew it was the same reason Hannibal helped him escape the Hell that was the Verger household.

" I love you too, Hannibal."

" I know, My dearest Will."


End file.
